Meadows: Support Milford Youth Center

Friday

May 9, 2014 at 12:34 AMMay 9, 2014 at 12:34 AM

I am writing in support of the Youth Center. I donít know how this can even be an issue. Spend a day at the Youth Center. See what goes on and how many kids attend.Jen and Sydney do a great job! They are both very involved in the well being of all the kids that attend the Youth Center. Lets face it, Sydney is the only male role model some of these kids know, and he does an amazing job! When my daughter (now 15) started going to the youth center in 6th grade, I have to say I was not thrilled because I was ignorant to what went on there. I took the time to see who went there and what was behind those closed doors.A lot of these kids come from nothing and are so used to being judged. When you walk into the Youth Center, all that goes away. Nobody judges anybody. Everybody finally feels like they have a place they can go where they actually fit. This is a very hard place to find in a preteen and teenís life.Over the years I have gotten to know a lot of these kids and they are great kids, with big hearts. They just want to be accepted and at the Youth Center they are. It amazes me to see how these kids at the youth center stick together when needed. To take this away from them would be taking away a great deal. They are a family.The Youth center keeps the kids off the streets. My youngest daughter just started going there and I support her 100 percent. Whether she is playing soccer, doing the crafts that are going on, watching a movie or at her Jag meeting, she is enjoying herself and I know she is safe. To see her so passionate about something warms my heart. The Jag meeting, run by Jen, teaches them to reach out to people less fortunate and I think this is just wonderful.To you, this may be a broken down building in need of a lot of expensive repairs, but to these kids it is a safe haven. The town can spend so much money to build a senior center but they canít put money into a building to keep the kids off the streets and safe? Please think long and hard on this decision. The Youth Center is all some of these kids have. Before you make your decisions you should think about where these kids would be hanging out and what they will be doing without the youth center.LINDA MEADOWSMilford